Method for producing metallic stems for artificial leaves and applying the leaves thereto



2 6 2 M 4 V 8 A 5 E Yu 1.. L A I C I F HO Rm .Am WH FTS R S2 Eww KmA LSE5 A L C wum@ .MTM STGd .EN` Gunn. GLF NP. IP GA WD ON/ RA P R O F D o H T E M May'll 1926.

Fatented May ll, i926.

nutrensrars maar raar Fries. i

GILBERT S. UVALKER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD FOR PRODUCING METALLIC STEMS FOR ARTFECAL LEAVES AND APPLYIG THE LEAVES THERETO. u

Application filed December 5, 1923. Serial No. 678,674.

My invention relates to improvements in methods and apparatus for applying .metal lic stems to artificial leaves and similar articles formed of fabric or paper; the invention is especially applicable to paper for the fabrication of such articles. l-leretofore the work has been done by hand because7 so far as I am aware, all previous apparatus attempted to sever the wire forming the stems of the articles at a point coincident with the top or upper end of the attached leaf, but owing to the fact that it was impracticable to, at all times, so position the leaf upon the wire, as to insure lthis result, the cutter frequently severed vthe wire at a point which mutilated the attached leaf, or, at a point beyond the top of the leaf, leaving a projecting `wire which was very objectionable. rlhese objectionablevfeatures existed, so far as l am aware, in the best apparatus employed, and occasioned loss of material, time and labor. The object of the present inven tion is to eliminate these diiiiculties, and l accomplish these objects by means 'of the method which, generally stated, 4consists in nicking or partly severing, a continuous wire, at predetermined points prior'to attaching the leaf thereon; thenicks serving to indicate the place on the Wire where the leaf is to be attached, and determining the place where the wire subsequently separates. lifter the leaf is attached, the wire is separated or pulled apart at the nicks, and a series of units or sections with a leaf or other article attached to each, is produced.

In the present application, the severing operation is performed by passing the partially severed wire, with the leaves attached, through aset of rolls running at high speed, the bite of which pulls apart and auto. matically separate from the main strand of wire the successively finished units, which then fall upon the work table. 'lheleaves or fabric are attached to the continuous wire by the operator in any suitable manner, such for instanceas gluing. l.ln the accompany* ing drawings I show one vform of apparatus adaptecbto carry out said method, in which drawings,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a number of artiiicial leaves.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a front elevatioi of the same.

Fig. i isa side elevation of a modified form of 'the apparatus.

Referring to saicl"clavvi1ig's: 1` is a vertically disposed*frame in the back and sides of which the shelves 2, 3 and Ll, and the work table 5 are secured. rlhe shelf 2 carries bearings a, b, in which shafts 6 and 7 are respectively journaled, on which the pulley wheels 8 and 9 and the roller c are respectively mounted, and hearing d in which the roller f is mounted. Rolls c and f are geared together at e. The shelf 3 carries bearings g, le, in which the shafts 10 and 11 are respcctivelyk journaled, on which vthe pulley whe-els 12 and 13, the pulling rolls 14 and 15, and the gears 1d and 15 are respectively mounted. .A motor 16 is supported on said shelf 3. The vertically disposed portion of shelf et, supports the outer end of the work table 5, and carries bearings` z', j, 7c, in which are respectively journaled the shafts 17, 18 and 19, which shafts are geared together. A large pulley wheel 2O is mounted upon shaft 17 and adjacent thereto a small wheel 21, on the periphery*offwhich is an outward.- ly projecting knife 22. A disc 23 mounted .on shaft 18 in close relationship with said wheel 21 has a part of its periphery removed, leaving the remainder in suiiiciently close proximity to the knife 22 on wheel 21, to

nick and partially sever the wire a" carried frein the reel 24l therethrough. Adjacent to said disc 23, and mounted upon the shaft 19, is a pulley 25 over which a belt or chain 26 passes into the glue pot 27. The'said belt 26 after passing through the glue contained in said pot is `brought into contact with the disc 23-by the rotation of the pulley 25 for the purpose of transferring glue to said disc whereby portions of the surface of the passing wire m beginning at the point where the same has been weakened and extending part way to the next'vveakened point, has transferred thereto a sufficient quantity of glue from said disk to enable kthe operator to apply the fabric or any form of artiicial leaf to the glued part of the wire, and extending slightly over the weakened part onto the unglued part of the next section of wire, when the wire arrives at a place convenient to the hand of the operator above the work tablev, on Whichthe fabric or leaf is placed. A burner 28 is connected with a source of supply of'gas and is located im.'

mediately below the said glue pot upon the support 29 for the purpose of maintaining the glue in liquid condition.

In Fig. 4 I show -a modified form of the glue applying mechanism. In all other respects the structure shown in F ig. 4 is identically similar to the structure shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In said Fig. 4, a shelf or member 30 carries bearings 31 and 32 in which shafts 33 and 34 are journaled and geared together. The said shaft 33 has mounted thereon, a large belt pulley 35, and a cam 36, a portion of the periphery of which has an enlarged projection 37, said shaft 33 has also mounted thereon a nickin0F disc 3S 4carrying a knife 40. A roller 39 is mounted upon shaft 34 and is adapted to contact with the projecting knife 40 on the nicking disc for the purpose of partially severing the wire as it passes between the last mentioned roller and the nicking disc. A lever 41 is pivotally supported in `a bearing 42, and the outer end of the same is adapted to be enga-ged at intervals by the projection 37 on the cam 36, whereby the opposite end of said lever is caused to move downwardly, thereby operating the rod 43 which is attached to the member 44, pivotally secured in the frame at 45 and carrying bearings for the shafts 46 and 47 on which respectively pulley 43, sprocket 49 and brush 50 are mounted. A chain 51 operating over sprocket 49 traverses the glue in glue pot 52 and transfers glue to the brush 50 in passing over the same, the intermittent movement of the lever 41 serves to carry the brush 50 into -contact with the wire for the purpose of applying glue to certain portions thereof.

The operation of the device is as follows: The motor being in operation, power is transmitted therefrom, through the power shaft thereof to the shaft 10, through the medium of the belt y, and through the shaft 10 to the pulley 13 mounted thereon. The power is then transmitted to pulleys 9 and 20 by means of the belt e which operates thereover and over 'pulley 13. VThe power thus transmitted operates also the closely disposed rolls 14 and 15, and the feed rolls c and f. The wire passes from the reel 24, to and through the rolls 21 and 23, at which pointk the wire is nicked or partially severed by the knife 22. It then passes upward until it. reaches a point above the work table 5, convenient to the operator when the leaves or other articles are attached or secured upon the wire by hand. In the specific form of apparatus chosen to illustrate the invention, the glue is automatically applied as heretofore described, to certain portions or all of Vthe wire before it reaches the operator who attaches or secures the leaves or other ipe/,4.262

articles to the said wire. The leaf or fabric is usually applied so that a small portion overlaps the nick and extends over on the next unit of the wire as shown in Figure 1, so as to make sure that the finished unit has no projecting wire at the top. It is then caused to pass over the grooved wheel 8, which serves to form and pr-ess a portion of the leaf or fabric about the wire to form the central vein of the leaf. It then passes through the feed rolls c andl f, to the rolls 14 and 15, which operating at greater speed than the feed rolls, serves to pull successive sections of the wire from the main strand at a point where the same is nicked or partially severed and to press the severed end of the wire down into the leaf or fabric.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcnt is:

l. The herein described method for applying wire stems to artificial leaves or similar articles which consists in first partially severing a continuous wire by nicking, then securing the article to said wire and finallv pulling the wire apart at the nick. L

2. The herein described method of attaching wire to fabric which consists -in forming a continuous strand of wire into a series of partially severed units, then attaching the fabric to cach of the units and finally completely severing the individual units from the continuous strand.

3. The herein described method of attaching wires to fabric which consists in forming a continuous strand of wire into a series of partially severed sections, then attaching the fabric to each of the sections and finally completely severing the wire by pulling it apart at the nicks.

4. The herein described method of attaching wire stems to fabric which consists in forming a continuous strand of wire, weakening the same at predetermined points, then manually securing the article thereto between said weakened points and iinally by pulling, separate the wire at suchl points, the separated portion of the wire having applied thereto the leaf or similar article.

5. In an apparatus for producing metallic stems for artificial leaves and similar articles, the combination of a frame, a reel carrying wire, mechanism mounted in the frame adapted to partially sever the wire at predetermined points, means to coat the wire with an adhesive substance, and means to successively pull the several sections of the wire apart at the points where the same is nicked or partially severed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

GLBEBT WALKER. 

